Are my calories too high??

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kimf79
kimf79 Posts: 59 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi guys,

I feel like I've gained some weight recently. I used to eat 1200, and I lost 20lbs like that. But after awhile this just seemed less and less sustainable, and I was going over most days. I have recently started to do the TDEE-20% percent method and began eating 1500 calories daily. I was working out probably 5 days a week before which listed me at 1985 TDEE. But now I've started a new job, and I'll probably be doing the gym 3-4 days instead - so maybe I need to adjust for this.

I'm having a hard time figuring out why I have I gained some weight - is it from recent splurges for holidays/bdays that have added up? Or is 1500 daily intake too high for me? I really want to figure out what the culprit is so I can fix it.

I'm 5'2', and I used to weigh 114, and now I may be closer to 120. My goal was 110 but at least for now I'd like to get back to wear I was, I feel my clothes fitting differently and this is not cool after I worked so hard to take it off.

Thanks so much for your advice!!!
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Replies

  • Stripeness
    Stripeness Posts: 511 Member
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    Your data says yes - you increased calories and are gaining.

    However, may I ask how you got your BMR/RMR for TDEE purposes? And as a note, all the online ones put me at ~1700, whereas my doc did an actual test & found it to be 1100.

    Huge YMMV...and good for you for being meticulous!
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
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    How long have you been eating 1500?
  • Ang108
    Ang108 Posts: 1,711 Member
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    Hi guys,

    I feel like I've gained some weight recently. I used to eat 1200, and I lost 20lbs like that. But after awhile this just seemed less and less sustainable, and I was going over most days. I have recently started to do the TDEE-20% percent method and began eating 1500 calories daily. I was working out probably 5 days a week before which listed me at 1985 TDEE. But now I've started a new job, and I'll probably be doing the gym 3-4 days instead - so maybe I need to adjust for this.

    I'm having a hard time figuring out why I have I gained some weight - is it from recent splurges for holidays/bdays that have added up? Or is 1500 daily intake too high for me? I really want to figure out what the culprit is so I can fix it.

    I'm 5'2', and I used to weigh 114, and now I may be closer to 120. My goal was 110 but at least for now I'd like to get back to wear I was, I feel my clothes fitting differently and this is not cool after I worked so hard to take it off.

    Thanks so much for your advice!!!

    I think you need to do better than just guess at what is going on with your life. You say you " feel " as if you have gained weight. Well, step on a scale and you will know. You say you " probably " went to the gym five times a week and you " probably " will go another five times. Probably means maybe or presumably, which has the " probably it won't happen five times a week " factor right built into it.
    Maybe you need to commit to the MFP way, measure and log everything, weigh and measure yourself and make a commitment to a certain number of days at the gym and then stick to them.....definitely......:o).
    This is the only way you can develop a data base of your intake and output on which to base smart decisions in regard to your diet and exercise.
    Good Luck !
  • Joey2552
    Joey2552 Posts: 8 Member
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    What types of exercise are you doing in conjunction with your calorie control?
  • kimf79
    kimf79 Posts: 59 Member
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    I think you need to do better than just guess at what is going on with your life. You say you " feel " as if you have gained weight. Well, step on a scale and you will know. You say you " probably " went to the gym five times a week and you " probably " will go another five times. Probably means maybe or presumably, which has the " probably it won't happen five times a week " factor right built into it.
    Maybe you need to commit to the MFP way, measure and log everything, weigh and measure yourself and make a commitment to a certain number of days at the gym and then stick to them.....definitely......:o).
    This is the only way you can develop a data base of your intake and output on which to base smart decisions in regard to your diet and exercise.
    Good Luck !
    [/quote]

    I hear what you are saying. Well I really haven't weighed myself much through my weight loss process. I knew where I was when I began and then I'd get weighed at doctors appointments and saw I lost 20lbs. I was trying to avoid being super neurotic about the number. I have been there before. However yes I agree with you - I must start getting more factual with this and get a new scale and start weighing and see what results I get from which actions.

    I did go to the gym 5-6 days per week before, but I was unemployed. Now with my job and my commute I will be more likely going 3-4 times per week.

    I do log consistently and weigh my foods. I have been at the 1500 now for a few weeks - but its possible I had begun gaining weight before from having a night or two off here and there and it has just added up. Basically I'm not sure if my weight gain is a result of some splurges that have added up or going up in calories? It happens so slowly. Its not like it happened overnight, one day my clothes were fitting loosely and slowly a few months later they are not as loose.

    I can cut out those bad cheat days, and that's what I intend to do but I hope my daily intake isn't too much and I am not losing it because of this....
  • kimf79
    kimf79 Posts: 59 Member
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    What types of exercise are you doing in conjunction with your calorie control?

    I am doing mostly cardio at the gym about 55 minutes combined of elliptical and walking fast on a high incline. Before I was doing this 5-6 times per week, and with my new job it will be more like 4 times per week.
  • kimf79
    kimf79 Posts: 59 Member
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    How long have you been eating 1500?

    I would say its been 3-4 weeks now. But I think my weight was kind of sneaking up before, since Thanksgiving maybe.
  • kimf79
    kimf79 Posts: 59 Member
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    Your data says yes - you increased calories and are gaining.

    However, may I ask how you got your BMR/RMR for TDEE purposes? And as a note, all the online ones put me at ~1700, whereas my doc did an actual test & found it to be 1100.

    Huge YMMV...and good for you for being meticulous!

    I kind of felt like I had been gaining for a while. Not just in the past 2-3 weeks. It was just slow gain. My issue is I don't know if its from having cheat nights sometimes and this has just added up over time, or the increase in calories is contributing. I go online to one of the many TDEE/BMR calculator websites. I think I need to re-do this and try to come up with a better more accurate number.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    Do you eat exercise calories back?

    Do you use a food scale to measure all your food out?

    Do you log consistently (everything, everyday and no quick add calories)?

    Could you open your diary?

    Is it nearing your period?
  • helpfit101
    helpfit101 Posts: 347 Member
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    Ok be honest you haven't consistently eaten 1500. You've had skip days and over days.
  • kimf79
    kimf79 Posts: 59 Member
    Options
    Do you eat exercise calories back?

    Do you use a food scale to measure all your food out?

    Do you log consistently (everything, everyday and no quick add calories)?

    Could you open your diary?

    Is it nearing your period?

    I love your questions! :) Lets get to the bottom of this!

    When I used to eat 1200 calories daily I did eat exercise calories back. If I burned 400 or so I would probably eat 300 back. But now that I started the TDEE-20% method I was trying to just eat 1500 and not eat exercise calories back because its supposed to be all figured into the equation which gives me my daily number.

    I log consistently. I do have some cheat days and I do log them but it is a possibility this has added up over time just throwing off my progress. I do quick add but for the correct number of calories.

    I could open my diary, that's an idea....I never have before though .

    And yes final question, I am nearing my period. I wore a pair of jeans I bought recently today and felt like I was a stuffed sausage in them. Could be cause I am a few days away from time of the month...
  • kimf79
    kimf79 Posts: 59 Member
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    Ok be honest you haven't consistently eaten 1500. You've had skip days and over days.

    I've had a few. I don't skip any days of logging. But I've had days where I have gone over. So are you saying if I stuck to 1500 exactly daily I wouldn't have possibly gained any weight? Anyways I know I can stick to the 1500 without the cheat days, but my question is, is this too high for me to still lose, or was a gain related to some cheat days that added up over time? Like did the cheat days I was getting away with before catch up with me, or is this cal level too high for weight loss?

    I had cheat days before and I was definitely not gaining.
  • MagdalenDreams
    MagdalenDreams Posts: 63
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    Your BMR is roughly 1200.... You are pretty short and light, so your caloric needs will most likely be smaller than some peoples.
  • helpfit101
    helpfit101 Posts: 347 Member
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    The only way to know is to eat certain calories consistently. Eat 1500 calories consistently for three weeks. Then if you don't start losing weight back to the weight you want to be at, lower more. But I think you'll start losing slowly.
  • Joey2552
    Joey2552 Posts: 8 Member
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    Mostly cardio. That's where you're going wrong. You need to be doing resistance training in conjunction with calorie counting and watching your macros (fats, carbs and proteins). You then and only then will lose weight. I was doing cardio 4/5 days a week with minimal effect - as soon as I switched to resistance the difference was remarkable.

    Take a look at my food diary prior to the 15th of Nov this year and you'll see.
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
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    Hi guys,

    I feel like I've gained some weight recently. I used to eat 1200, and I lost 20lbs like that. But after awhile this just seemed less and less sustainable, and I was going over most days. I have recently started to do the TDEE-20% percent method and began eating 1500 calories daily. I was working out probably 5 days a week before which listed me at 1985 TDEE. But now I've started a new job, and I'll probably be doing the gym 3-4 days instead - so maybe I need to adjust for this.

    I'm having a hard time figuring out why I have I gained some weight - is it from recent splurges for holidays/bdays that have added up? Or is 1500 daily intake too high for me? I really want to figure out what the culprit is so I can fix it.

    I'm 5'2', and I used to weigh 114, and now I may be closer to 120. My goal was 110 but at least for now I'd like to get back to wear I was, I feel my clothes fitting differently and this is not cool after I worked so hard to take it off.

    Thanks so much for your advice!!!

    You know you can always eat more on the days you work out and less on the days you don't. Are you eating back exercise calories? This kind of blows my mind that you would be gaining that much on 1500. I think it's probably the splurges.

    Also, can you try tracking your body fat instead of just your weight on the scale? Some people actually go up in weight if their workouts are well-fed but their body fat goes down. That happens to me, and it's fine. Actually it's good.

    Oh, but if you are just doing cardio, that's probably not it. Back off the cardio and start doing more weights and you will see a change in body composition.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Options
    Do you eat exercise calories back?

    Do you use a food scale to measure all your food out?

    Do you log consistently (everything, everyday and no quick add calories)?

    Could you open your diary?

    Is it nearing your period?

    I love your questions! :) Lets get to the bottom of this!

    When I used to eat 1200 calories daily I did eat exercise calories back. If I burned 400 or so I would probably eat 300 back. But now that I started the TDEE-20% method I was trying to just eat 1500 and not eat exercise calories back because its supposed to be all figured into the equation which gives me my daily number.

    I log consistently. I do have some cheat days and I do log them but it is a possibility this has added up over time just throwing off my progress. I do quick add but for the correct number of calories.

    I could open my diary, that's an idea....I never have before though .

    And yes final question, I am nearing my period. I wore a pair of jeans I bought recently today and felt like I was a stuffed sausage in them. Could be cause I am a few days away from time of the month...

    Well, if you could open your diary we might be able to see if those "cheat" days are what's getting to you.

    And the scale can flucutate up to 10-12lbs due to water retention around that time of the month. Right now, you could be experiencing that so maybe wait until after your period to assess if you've really gained what you think.

    If so, maybe consider going back to MFP's methods in where you have a base calorie goal you net. That seemed to work for you before, although I am thinking that it is a high possibility that you are probably coming in around 1600-1800 per day (once you figure out the daily average per week) versus the 1500 you have set at.

    Also, do you weigh out your food with a food scale?
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Options
    Mostly cardio. That's where you're going wrong. You need to be doing resistance training in conjunction with calorie counting and watching your macros (fats, carbs and proteins). You then and only then will lose weight. I was doing cardio 4/5 days a week with minimal effect - as soon as I switched to resistance the difference was remarkable.

    I am going to disagree with some of the things said above.

    Although I totally agree with balancing out cardio with strength/resistance training, the culprit isn't the cardio. Exercise is for fitness. Weight loss is dependent on eating at a calorie deficit (this does not include macros).

    To note, from my experience, weight training actually will affect measurements/inches lost much more than creating the scale #s to go down. Overall, I would encourage the OP to focus on measurements and body fat % rather than a scale # (especially because that is unreliable due to such things like water retention).
  • kimf79
    kimf79 Posts: 59 Member
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    OR my issue could be that I gained the weight from splurges that added up and it's not that 1500 is too much but that my weight loss is slower at this level so I just haven't seen any immediate/noticeable weight loss at this level?
  • janupshaw
    janupshaw Posts: 205 Member
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    Mostly cardio. That's where you're going wrong. You need to be doing resistance training in conjunction with calorie counting and watching your macros (fats, carbs and proteins). You then and only then will lose weight. I was doing cardio 4/5 days a week with minimal effect - as soon as I switched to resistance the difference was remarkable.

    It was the opposite for me, I did cardio and lost like a champ...started lifting weights and my weight loss slowed waay down. My guess is you should still lose at 1500 calories, just cut the cheat days & give it a little more time.

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